Ed is one the of leading banjo players in the UK, a passionate advocate for folk and traditional music and the director of London based folk music school the Trad Academy CIC.

In career spanning ten years Ed Hicks played has banjo on a Gold Record, on a Mercury Award nominated album, on Love Cats with Rob Smith of the Cure, on the Voice UK, the Voice Germany and the Voice Kids, with an award wining theatre companies (Cirque de Legume, Ramshacklicious, The Honk Project, Cockney Awkestra) on a full UK tour with electro pop pioneer Thomas Dolby and on 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' with Python Eric Idle. 

Ed has played all over the UK and Europe at many prestigious venues including Glastonbury Festival, Shakespeare’s Globe, the National Theatre, Rock am Ring (Germany), The Victoria and Albert Museum and Shepherd Bush Empire.  Ed Hicks was even booked to play the banjo at Marcus Mumford’s Wedding to Kerry Muligan and was the banjo player the BBC phoned to interview when Earl Scruggs died.

Ed Hicks is also a prolific and passionate teacher of the banjo.  Over the last ten years he has taught literately hundreds of people to play the banjo through private lessons, as well as in group classes for the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS).  In 2012 Ed set up London based folk music school the Trad Academy which has been successfully introducing adults to folk music, song and dance through workshops and classes for three years.